In fact, the highly sensitive person isborn that way, with 15-20% of our population being genetically predisposed to higher levels of mental, emotional and physical sensitivity. So are you a highly sensitive person? Find out below.

The Highly Sensitive Person

Mother of the discovery, Elaine Aron, has been researching the highly sensitive person for over 20 years now. As such, she has a finely tuned list of traits and behavioral quirks that define the highly sensitive person. See how many describe you in my updated list below.

I like to take my time, and not overload myself with too many activities as it drains and overwhelms me.

I prefer to avoid violent TV shows and movies.

I find it hard to adapt to changes in my life.

I tend to ruminate and process information deeply.

I’m empathic. I’m aware of the way people feel around me, and when any slight change occurs in them.

Emotional environments tend to affect me deeply.

I’m often perceived as being introverted or shy.

I’m profoundly moved by nature, the arts or music.

I tend to be more philosophically and spiritually orientated.

I feel unusually strong emotions.

I avoid and deeply dislike confrontation of any kind.

I prefer to not be observed when fulfilling tasks. It unsettles me.

I tend to avoid situations that are too intense or chaotic.

I seem to process the world at a very deep level.

Common Myths About the Highly Sensitive Person

The three most common things the highly sensitive person is mistaken for can be found below.

Misconception #1: HSPs are introverts.

We both like to reflect deeply, and both have vibrant internal worlds, but not all introverted people are necessarily highly sensitive. In fact, as Aron points out, 30% of the total number of highly sensitive people are actually extroverted. It’s a small minority, but it still shows that introversion does not equate to being highly sensitive.

Misconception #2: Being an HSP is just another word for being shy.

Just like introversion, the highly sensitive person is often mislabeled as being shy. Although the two share things in common – such as sensitivity to overwhelming social situations, they are essentially not the same thing. While shyness is learned, being a highly sensitive person is not.

Misconception #3: “HSP” is a mental disorder.

From the description, all the way to the shortened label (HSP), it’s easy to mistake the highly sensitive person as a sufferer of some strange mental condition. Although there’s a small percentage of HSPs, the numbers are not small enough to be classified as a disorder, or large enough to be given much attention either. Besides, what mental disorder allows the sufferer to be endowed with such genuine joy as being more empathic, spiritually orientated, and appreciating the details of life more fully?

How To Live Life With Ease As An HSP

As highly sensitive author Kate Stefans points out in her post Underlying Dissatisfaction, highly sensitive people are prone to idealism and perfectionism. This often spurs from deriving our self-worth from the opinion of others, and not valuing ourselves enough. Being a highly sensitive person can also hit you hard if you’re a male. Being a thick-skinned logician is favored as the masculine ideal in the Western world, rather than the sensitive, emotional poet. But whatever difficulties we face as highly sensitive people can be overcome with the ability to reframe the negative into the positive, and actively work to better our environments. Here are some tips:

1. Learn to value yourself.

I learned this the hard way. When we place too much importance in what people say and think about us, we create immense psychological tension and anxiety. We are living to satisfy the thousands of different perspectives of who we “should” be, rather than embracing what we are. In essence, we are creating the exact thing we try to avoid that is detrimental to us: too much internal pressure and chaos. Be nice to yourself. Learn to value your qualities and gifts. Realize that you’re the one and only master over yourself, and no one can have power over you unless you let them.

2. Don’t take things personally.

This tip, mentioned by Don Miguel Ruiz in his well-known book The Four Agreements, is essential for mental and emotional happiness. The highly sensitive person, prone to getting hurt easily by other people and their words, frequently finds himself on edge in social situations, trying to finely tune his behavior to avoid conflict. When we take insults and the moods of other people personally, we blame ourselves. To overcome this dilemma, I’ve personally found that it’s best to think about the person, and why they said or behaved the way they did. Are they going through a divorce? Did they sleep well? Did someone do something that outraged them today? As Ruiz says “nothing other people do is because of you“.

Shadow Work Journal:

Go on a journey through the deepest and darkest corners of your psyche. Embrace your inner demons, uncover your hidden gifts, and reach the next level of your spiritual growth. This is deep and powerful work!

3. Embrace solitude.

Solitude is not loneliness, instead it is a chosen form of being alone, rather than an imposed one. When we choose solitude and take mini-retreats from our stimulating days, we give ourselves the gift of re-cooperation. As highly sensitive people, we need to be in tune with our minds and bodies and the warning signs of burnout, such as irritability and physical exhaustion. Take a bit of time to renew yourself.

4. Investigate, identify & act upon your sensitivity triggers.

Wouldn’t life be a whole lot easier if we managed to resourcefully alter or intelligently negotiate our way around the stresses and stimulation’s that come our way? Of course, we can’t plan everything, but for the stresses currently existing in our lives, we can work to plan ahead and alleviate the incoming tension. As an HSP, I struggled with this, stoically putting up with the extreme anxiety I felt at work, until I realized that it was weakening my health. No, I didn’t do something drastic like quit my job, but I did decide to plan ahead and practice self-hypnosis every time I had to go to work, to prepare myself for the day. I still do. As an HSP, you may be suffering from the same problem I did: a self-sacrificial acceptance of your less than healthy response to a situation in life. If you find yourself daily frazzled, try identifying what makes you so stressed out and think about what you can do to actively make your life easier to live. Life wasn’t meant to be bared with gritted teeth.

Are you a highly sensitive person? Do you have anything to add to this article? If so, please do below. Also, you may like to take our Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Test.

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About Aletheia Luna

Aletheia Luna is an influential psychospiritual writer whose work has changed the lives of thousands of people worldwide. After escaping the religious sect she was raised in, Luna experienced a profound existential crisis that led to her spiritual awakening. As a spiritual counselor, diviner, and author, Luna's mission is to help others become conscious of their entrapment and find joy, empowerment, and liberation in any circumstance. [Read More]

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Hi,
I just found this website and everything is so interesting here.
I’ve known for a couple of years that I’m a HSP. But here, I read about Old Souls and I’m really recognizing myself in the description of being an Old Soul too.
But I was wondering now… What is the difference in being a HSP and being an Old Soul ?

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About Us

Walk the path less traveled

Our names are Aletheia Luna and Mateo Sol and we currently live in Perth, Western Australia.

Our mission is to help others embrace the path of the lone wolf and listen to the soul’s calling. Our goal is to provide a grounded and balanced perspective of spirituality that doesn’t bypass the raw, real, and messy aspects of spiritual growth or psychological development.

We are deeply drawn to exploring and exposing both the light and shadow side of human nature and spirituality. We strive towards integration, balance, wholeness, and embracing both the sacred and wild aspects of being human. Read more.